


Welcome Home

by ALICE (Avistella)



Category: Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, One Shot Collection, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:06:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22484605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avistella/pseuds/ALICE
Summary: Collection of oneshots/ ficlets featuring Líf and my Summoner OC, Alice
Relationships: Líf (Fire Emblem)/Original Female Character(s), Líf/Summoner | Eclat | Kiran
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	1. A New Home

Finally... within the smoke, Alice can make out the familiar silhouette of the man that she wanted to see. When the smoke clears, Líf stands there, tall but not necessarily proud. His back is straightened as if on guard, and for a moment, he looks lost and disorientated. Confusion swims behind his eyes as he wonders out loud where is. His eyes meet with the Summoner's, and realization dawns on him.

"Ah, I see." He closes his eyes in solemn understanding. "It's you." He steps towards Alice, his strides strong and purposeful as he stares down at her. "I am known as Líf."

It's such a vague way of introducing himself. Because they both know that Líf isn't his true name. It isn't his true name, but it's the name that those who have fallen to his sword know him as. In other words, Líf has no intention of pretending to be someone he no longer is. He's long since abandoned that name and that past.

Alice smiles. It is a very sad smile, but with it, she wordlessly conveys that she understands and that she will respect that decision of how he chooses to continue with his life. She puts Breidablik back into its holster. She's done summoning for the day, as the one she was waiting for is finally here.

She takes a few steps forward, stands on her tiptoes while reaching her arms up, and wraps them around Líf's neck before pulling him down for a tight embrace. The other Heroes who have accompanied Alice to protect her during the summoning ritual in case something happened seem taken aback by her behaviour. After all, the one before them right now is none other than one of the Generals of the Dead. Even if he was a former one, and even if he was now bound to Breidablik and thusly couldn't hurt Alice, they don't want to take any possible risks.

They glance over to Alfonse for directions on how to proceed, but he merely raises a hand to tell them to stay their hands. He brings his attention back to the Summoner and what is now the fallen prince of a fallen kingdom. He understands where Alice's sympathy is coming from, and in a way, he shares the same sentiment. But really... this kind of situation is unprecendeted, and uncertainties cloud over his heart and mind.

Within the embrace, Alice whispers to Líf's ear, "Welcome home. Thank you for coming back home."

Líf's eyes narrow from her words. This isn't his home. Not really. He knows that. He understands that. He's painfully reminded of that as Alice continues to hold him, her body warm unlike the corpse she had left him with so long ago. But even so, he feels his chest ache. He wants to return her embrace. He wants to feel what it's like to have her in his arms again, but he can't bring himself to do so. He shouldn't. Getting attached to her once again like this would only be yet another death of him in the end.

Eventually, Alice releases him and takes a few steps back to put some distance between them. He notes the way her eyes appear wet as she brings her gaze down and the way her lips are pressed tightly together. She's holding herself back from crying, he realizes. Back then, Líf always had difficulty figuring out what was going on in Alice's mind, but in the past, he had gotten to know her very well and very intimately, so he's able to pick up on these subtle cues from her now.

The Summoner turns around, seeking out Alfonse. She nods her head to signify that she's done here, and he nods in return in acknowledgement. He begins to gather the other Heroes who were summoned prior to Líf and goes over the usual introduction, brief explanation of the situation, and rules and guidelines to being part of the Order of Heroes. It's a long but necessary process, especially for new faces, to help summoned Heroes assimilate to their new life here in Askr.

Although she's the summoner and tactician, Alice isn't used to speaking to or being in large crowds. She's still trying to overcome her anxiety, and it seems as though she's reached her limit for the day. She trusts Alfonse and the other Heroes to handle things in her stead from here, and she begins to head back to the castle on her own.

A few moments later, she hears the clinking of armour following close behind her. She turns back around, curious and confused, and finds Líf trailing her. Was he... looking out for her?

"I am already well-versed in the functions of the Order of Heroes and know my way around the castle," he explains. "There's no need for me to linger behind."

Alice hums. "Mm, I guess that's true." 

She turns on her heel and resumes her journey back to the castle. Líf follows behind her, silence stretching over the two of them. He stares at her back, small and fragile as he remembered. It's a bit strange. Even though he knows that this isn't the same Summoner he had grown to love and cherish back in his now desolate version of Askr, he still feels the familiar urge to protect her.

"You... aren't the Alice I know," he voices his thoughts out loud, wanting to make his stance on the whole matter known to her.

"Yeah, I know," she answers without faltering and without bothering to look at him. "Just like how you aren't the Alfonse I know. But that doesn't mean we can't get to know each other and become close. Would you find it strange if I said I wanted to be your friend?"

"Yes," Líf responds without missing a beat. "I tried to kill you. Wanting to be friends with someone who tried to kill you is strange."

Alice casually shrugs her shoulders. "What? Is it that bad?"

"It's bad." He sounds exasperated, but at the same time, this kind of back-and-forth feels all too familiar to him that it makes him feel oddly at peace.

Alice doesn't say anything further as she has nothing more to add, and Líf too falls silent. They're able to see the castle now, and Líf's eyes grow misty. The sight before him is almost too much to bear. It's so dazzling and bright, he wonders if this is just another one of his cruel dreams of the past. He stops mid-step and hesitates. He takes a moment to gather his resolve and finds the courage to take one step further.

Hel no longer has claim over him.

From now on, this Askr is his new home.


	2. Past and Present

Líf isn't certain why he's acting like this. He had been given his own room within the barracks, but he has no particular use for it. He has no possessions of his own asides from his sword, and after becoming a pawn of Hel, there's been no need for him to sleep. So in that spare time that he now has too much of after being summoned to this still functioning version of Askr, he's unconsciously taken it upon himself to act as Alice's bodyguard of sorts within the shadows.

When night falls and the Summoner has retreated to her room, he finds himself standing near her door. There's no reason for him to be there. Alice's room is located within one of the safest parts of the castle. Not only that, but Alfonse's, Sharena's, and Anna's rooms—all three of which are more than capable fighters on their own—are nearby. The chances of something happening to Alice in her room is _incredibly_ slim, but Líf can't help but worry nevertheless. He can never be too careful.

He leans against the wall beside the Summoner's door, his arms crossed but ready to draw his sword at a moment's notice if necessary. People who would pass by Alice's room in the dead of night for whatever reason would jump in fright at the sight of the former General. He would stare at them and watch them with scrutinizing eyes as they make their way across the hall. It's almost amusing to him that he's fallen back to where he initially started as "Alfonse, prince of Askr". 

He couldn't bring himself to get close or trust any of the Heroes within the Order the first time as the Askran prince. But then Alice showed him the folly of his standoff-ish behaviour, and he started opening himself up to them more and more. What he once only called allies became acquiantances which then became friends. But now they're back to being nothing more than strangers to Líf. He can't bring himself to trust them. Because they aren't the same Heroes he had befriended before. And he can't trust them with someone he deems so special.

Whenever noon came, Líf would flee the scene. Alice isn't a morning person by any means, so she generally only gets up in the afternoon. From the late hours of the night and early hours of the morning all the way to noon, Líf would linger by the Summoner's bedroom and silently watch over her in his own way. And all that time, Alice is none the wiser because Líf doesn't want her to know. He doesn't want her to know that he cares for her despite everything that's happened.

And in the afternoon, when she's going about her day and duties, he trails behind her. He never gets too close to be noticed, but he's close enough that he's able to monitor her and make sure she remains safe. He finds himself watching her intently, commiting everything she says and does to memory. It's... unhealthy, he realizes. It's like an obsession he can't pull himself away from, but he can't just _leave her_ like he did in the past.

He can still remember how his Summoner felt when he held her corpse, crying and begging for forgiveness while cursing the gods. He... He can't bear the idea of having something like that happening all over again. For his sake. For her sake. ...For Alfonse's sake.

The painful reminder that he isn't Alfonse makes him falter.

* * *

It's just like any other day, but Alice seems far more exhausted than usual. She had been staying up later than usual, going over the inventory and current statuses of the summoned Heroes. She had been negligent as of late, she realized. So much of the Order's focus had gone into defeating Hel that she ended up forgetting to train the newly recruited Heroes as well as other boring but equally important tasks to gather resources, especially orbs since she spent a fair amount to bring Líf home.

Things seem to have quieted down now, however, and Alice goes off on her own to take a breather. As always, Líf trails her from a distance. He's fairly certain he knows where she's heading towards if his memory serves him right. It's a bit away from the castle grounds, but there lies a small forest nearby. It's a very peaceful place; one that Alice goes to every time she wants to take a break from... being Alice.

"Alice" is an alias. It's a name that she's grown attached to and considers it "her own", but at the same time, it's a name that she puts far too much hopes and dreams on. As "Alice", she wants to appear capable and strong in leading the Order of Heroes, but there's a limit on how long she can maintain such an appearance to those around her.

At least, in this quiet and lonely place, she can be who she is at her core: a small, broken, and pitiful girl who just wants to sleep for eternity. She finds a nice tree to rest against, tilting her head back and allowing all the tension in her muscles to slip away. She's exhausted in more ways than one, her body feeling heavy like lead. She closes her eyes, promising to rest them for just a few seconds. Even though she had woken up only fairly recently due to having been called upon to settle some Heroes' quarrel, Alice falls asleep then and there, her exhaustion quick to catch up with her.

Líf leaves his hiding spot the moment he realizes that the Summoner is asleep. He approaches her, almost hesitant, and stares down at her defenseless figure. She's small and fragile. Líf is certain he can easily snap her in two like a twig if he wants to. He sighs before settling down beside her.

"You need to stop sleeping in places the Order of Heroes don't know of..." Líf speaks, his words addressed towards the slumbering Summoner even though he's aware she can't hear him. Or perhaps it's because she's asleep that he can talk to her in the first place. "Do you want another 'False Alarm Incident'?"

Líf remembers that day well. The Summoner had gone off on her own without telling anyone where she was going. The Order of Heroes looked everywhere for her but was unable to find her anywhere. She had left behind her cloak and Breidablik which made everyone believe that she was kidnapped by an enemy during the night. It wasn't until later in the afternoon that she returned, unscathed. Apparently she had gone to sleep over at another version of Askr but forgot to inform anyone.

The former general recalls being absolutely angry with her. He had scolded her very harshly. Now that he thinks back on it, perhaps his behaviour then was a bit aggressive, but he was so worried for her that he couldn't think straight. His scolding from back then must have brought up unpleasant memories of her home. It's no wonder to him now that Alice ended up breaking down then and there. It later became known as the 'False Alarm Incident' due to how high everybody's emotions were at that time.

Líf brings himself back to the present and stares at Alice. "...or has that incident not happened yet for you...?" He vaguely wonders to himself. "I... can't help but feel as though my past is your future, and that frightens me. Even though you've defeated Hel... Even though you've already changed 'my past', I can't help but wonder... how will things go from here?"

Líf moves around so that he's now directly kneeling in front of the Summoner. He reaches out and gently cradles her face in his hands, his eyes incredibly pained. "Please, tell me, Alice. You were my future. The day you died, time stopped for me. So then where does my future lie now? Is it here, with this past version of yourself? Or is it somewhere else? What should I be doing...?"

"..."

"..."

.........

"Mmgh...?" Alice's eyes flutter open. She hasn't shaken off her nap yet, and she looks around in confusion to get her bearings. She remembers that she had left the castle all by herself to give herself a break. She didn't mean to fall asleep like that though, and she quickly stands back up while brushing herself off.

"I should head back," she muses to herself. "Alfonse would probably be worried if I'm gone for too long..."

Líf watches her while hidden amongst the shadows, ensuring she has a safe trip back to the castle. Although he's usually so attentive, he finds himself distracted by his thoughts of his past and what his future entails from now on.


	3. Take a Seat

"Líf."

The man tenses at the call of his alias—no, his _name_. It's not like he isn't used to hearing it, but the owner of the voice is somebody he would like to avoid as much as possible during his stay in the Order of Heroes. Líf slowly opens his eyes and stares at his younger counterpart who earnestly returns his gaze. Líf's arms remain crossed over his chest, leaning his body weight against the wall.

"What?" He asks, his tone rude and curt, unlike that of the prince he once used to be.

"May I talk with you?" Alfonse makes a request, his voice unwavering. He glances to beside Líf, where Alice's bedroom door lies and adds, "Somewhere more private?"

The former general breathes out a sigh, the blue wisps emitted from his mask quickly dissolving into the tense air. He straightens himself up. "Fine. So long as it isn't in the gardens."

Alfonse opens his mouth, a question on his tongue. He wants to ask why not the gardens, but Líf's gaze hardens, and he manages to stop himself in time. He might not know what the answer is, but considering how Líf _is_ him after all, he can garner a guess. The gardens are Alice's favourite place in the castle. It's... a very intimate place, not just for her, but for him as well.

The Askran prince solemnly nods his head. "Then, let's go to the council room."

The atmosphere between the two is heavy, and not a single word is exchanged between them. They're both lost in their own respective thoughts and concerns about the current situation between them and their— _the_ Summoner. Alfonse shuts the door to the council room behind them, and he has to take a moment to mentally prepare himself. In the meantime, Líf instinctively walks up to one of the chairs surrounding the large table in the center of the room. His eyes narrow slightly as he runs his fingers along the back of the furniture.

It's then that Alfonse finally speaks up. "I realized that you've been trailing behind Alice almost every day since you arrived."

If Líf could smile, his lips would twist into a wry one. Of course _Alfonse_ of all people would realize. He's the one that pays the closest attention to the Summoner. "What of it?" Líf questions, an unpleasant feeling settling in the pit of his stomach as his eyes remain fixated on the empty chair before him. "You understand better than anyone else how important the Summoner is to Askr—to us— _you_." He's quick to correct himself. "How important she is to _you_... I'm merely making sure nothing happens to her."

"I don't think it's healthy," the prince answers, voicing his concern over the man's harmful behaviour to himself. "I assure you, Alice is safe and well-guarded."

" _Are you sure about that?_ "

Alfonse's throat immediately clamps up at the sudden sharpness in Líf's tone. The air in the room has become much colder and much, _much_ more menacing, and he freezes up in _fear_. Líf hasn't looked up at him once since their conversation started. He's only been staring at nothing but—

Alfonse's eyes go wide the moment realization dawns on him.

_Alice's chair._

Alice doesn't like being the center of attention, so her seat in the council room was placed on a more inconspicuous side out of consideration for her and her anxiety. How many days and nights had Líf lived through, staring at that empty spot as his sanity slipped away? How many times had he opened the door to this very same room, hoping from the deepest part of his heart that Alice would be sitting there, her chin propped up with her hand as she looked over battle strategies as always?

Líf finally brings himself to tear his gaze away from the piece of furniture and direct his attention to Alfonse. Alfonse tenses up even more at the hard and vicious glare the former general sends his way. It is full of hatred and spite, and for the first time ever since Líf was summoned here to Askr, Alfonse thinks that Líf is a man that can very well decimate the Order of Heroes.

To be honest, Líf hates looking at Alfonse's face. The reason for that is because his counterpart is a reminder of his weaknesses and shortcomings. Alfonse is weak. He is ~~( _was_ )~~ weak and can't ~~( _couldn't_ )~~ protect anyone. Líf hates it. He _despises_ it. He _completely **loathes**_ the fact that somebody so _weak_ still has those closest to him.

**It isn't fair.**

"Is she really safe?"

Líf begins to walk over to where the prince stands, still stuck in place and unable to move from the overwhelming intensity of Líf's hatred, guilt, and blame. The older counterpart looms over his younger self, staring down hard at him. "How can you be so sure that she will remain safe? Because you'll _protect_ her? Because you _promised_ to protect her? I recall making such promises, only to break them in the end."

Alfonse opens his mouth, but he struggles to make a sound. He presses his lips together in a firm line and swallows the lump in his throat. He tries again. "I'm not like you," he declares. Although his words quake, Alfonse's gaze remains true.

Yes... That's right. That's something that the two of them need to lay out to each other and understand. Alfonse is not Líf, and Líf is not Alfonse. It's a good thing, Líf thinks idly to himself, that he's able to teach his past self this important lesson. Alfonse is nothing like Líf which is why he should protect Alice from the monster that he is.

"You're right," Líf sneers. "You're _nothing_ like me. You are weak and naive. You think you can save everyone, but you're just fooling yourself."

"That's—!"

Líf cuts him off, "Ah, that's right... The Summoner always has really cold hands."

> _"Alfonse! Alfonse! Feel how cold my hands are!"_
> 
> _"Agh!! Alice! You can't say that as you're putting your hands on my face! And besides, it's the middle of summer—how are your hands so cold?!"_

For a brief second, Líf's eyes become sorrowful at a distant but fond memory before they harden once more when a more prominent memory floods his mind. He continues, his next words carrying so much weight and meaning to them: " _Did you know that they're actually not that cold compared to that of a corpse?_ " He watches Alfonse struggle to hide his horrified expression as the implication dawns on him.

Líf steps back, and Alfonse's stance staggers. His shoulders are trembling as he brings a hand up to his mouth. Alfonse has always known that the Alice in Líf's future passed away, but he never fully realized until now how traumatizing it must have been. Just imagining it is enough to make the prince's face go pale, but Líf... Líf _experienced_ that.

"It seems our conversation is done here." Without uttering another word, Líf pushes himself past Alfonse to head back to his self-proclaimed post by Alice's door, leaving the prince all alone to his thoughts.

* * *

"Al— Ah, I mean, Líf!" Sharena offers a sheepish laugh as she runs up to the former general to catch up with him. "Alice wants to ask you for some advice in regards to her strategies since Alfonse is busy. She should be in the council room."

"Understood." As always, his response comes out short and emotionally distant.

He makes his way over to the council room and opens the door. In front of him, he finds Alice sitting at her spot at the table, inconspicuous as it always is, with her chin propped up with her hand as she looks over the battle strategies laid out before her.


End file.
